Shindig!

Indoors and out, under- grads have long known how to unwind and have a good time at a themed event of their own making. Here’s a sampling of some of their more popular and enter- taining parties.

DERBY On a Saturday after- noon in early May the lawn of Kappa Delta Epsilon (KDE), a local sorority on Webster Avenue, is packed with floppy white hats, bright dresses and pastel button-downs for the invite-only celebration of the Kentucky Derby.

HARFEST Hundreds of students head out to the organic farm on a fall afternoon for live music, cider, pumpkin carving and s’mores. Last year Bait & Bullet, the fishing and hunting club, provided another attraction—fresh- ly hunted goose burgers.

TACKIES On the Wednesday before each big week- end—Homecoming, Winter Carnival and Green Key—students “don their finest tacky clothing,” according to the invitation, and dance their hearts out in the basement of KDE.

FOAM PARTY Each summer, aided by a rented bubble machine and fans, Sigma Phi Epsilon fills its basement with suds that spill out the door. Student partiers wade through the bubbles during the soapy dance party.

MUD DERBY For more than 30 years the brothers of Bones Gate have done their best to imperson- ate the horse races their neighbors celebrate at Derby: They dig a circular trench in their yard, fill it with water and hold races around the muddy track. Throughout the afternoon hundreds of students join in to throw mud—and each other—across the pit.

TABARD LINGERIE The coed house’s main room is always packed for this once-a-term lingerie show—a celebration of body positivity, where any student can sign up to perform. Students in groups or going solo dress up in drag, in tassles—or in nothing—and dance, sing or strip on stage.

WIMBLEDON PARTY An invite-only party hosted by Psi U during Sophomore Summer with a tennis theme. Students wear their cleanest tennis whites and compete in a pong tournament.

CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL Dozens of students, from countries in the Caribbean and out, dance and wave flags on Mass Row wearing metallic tube tops, col- orful makeup and gold masks to celebrate Carnival. Others join for live reggae music, food and dancing.

BEACH PARTY On the Friday of Winter Carnival five tons of sand cover the first floor of Alpha Chi Alpha. Since 1973 students have traded winter boots for flip- flops to dance to a live band.

THE GREAT GATSBY Every term students dress up in feathered headbands, pearls, dark lipstick and vests, bowties and big fur jackets for the party at Panarchy, an undergraduate society housed in a sprawling white mansion on School Street. A jazz band performs on the first floor for a crowd of dancers.